INTRODUCTION the Transwilts CIC Is Proposing an Integrated Bus
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INTRODUCTION The TransWilts CIC is proposing an integrated bus Quality Contracts type of Scheme (QCS), through which the local bus market in North, West and potentially South Wiltshire would be secured for the future and improved to deliver interurban services in an integrated way familiar to people in urban cityscapes such as London and many European cities. The QCS must meet five public interest criteria; . (i) it will result in an increase in the use of bus services in the area to which the proposed scheme relates; . (ii) it will bring benefits to persons using local services in the area to which the proposed scheme relates, by improving the quality of those services; . (iii) it will contribute to the implementation of the local transport policies of the LTA; . (iv) it will contribute to the implementation of those policies in a way which is economic, efficient and effective; and . (v) any adverse effects of the proposed scheme on operators will be proportionate to the improvement in the well-being of persons living or working in the area to which the proposed scheme relates. An Oyster card type of integrated ticketing is possible because one body controls the whole ticketing fare structure and revenue. Groups of routes are let by competitive tender for a period up to 10 years and no other services can compete except by agreement for example with cross border agreements with B&NES. The current out sourced approach provides spasmodic service frequencies and a lack of overall integration. The increasing budgetary pressure provides an opportunity to review the whole bus service provision with the objective of getting better value for money and improved public service provision. Issues such as Hopper service to Bath Hospital could be resolved inside a managed and integrated service network. This proposal considers four transport “corridors” which combined will deliver a number of improvements to bus services in Wiltshire, including: - A350 West Wilts Corridor: Interurban Buses on A350 between Malmesbury to Warminster, timed to connect with TransWilts Rail services at Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham Railway Stations, and run at an increased frequency (roughly every 2 hours) during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - A4 North Wilts Corridor Swindon to Bath: Frequency of interurban buses on the A4 corridor from Corsham to Bath and Chippenham increased to hourly during Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes. - Mid Wilts Corridor: Interurban services from Marlborough, Devizes, and Trowbridge timed to connect with train services at Westbury, Trowbridge, Pewsey and Bedwyn. - Salisbury Plain Services: Interurban services between Amesbury, Tidworth, Salisbury, Shaftesbury, timed to connect with train services at Salisbury, Tisbury, Dean and Grateley - Provision in the relevant contracts will be made for appropriate re-routing bus services, should new rail stations open at Corsham and Royal Wootton Bassett. - Urban services including Park & Ride in Principal Towns of Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury - Integrated smart ticketing systems - Revised common fare structure across Wiltshire based on journey miles and passenger type - Introduction of weekly, monthly and annual ticket classes - Integrated “Plus-Bus” style combined rail/bus ticketing It must be recognized that the challenge of setting up a QCS has not been yet undertaken by local authorities, but the Unitary Authority structure brings substantial advantage to the negotiation process. Irrespective of the QCS structure it must be seen a sensible first step to have an integrated framework for bus services against which negotiations with service providers can be subjected to public interest criteria for Wiltshire as a whole. TransWilts CIC have prepared a series of Bus Service Proposals in the Appendices attached to this proposal which represent a first draft for illustration and discussion as a Wiltshire Bus Service Framework. Appendices Index 1 Melksham 2 Devizes 3 Corsham 4 Urban Services a. Bradford on Avon b. Chippenham c. Corsham, Malmesbury d. Melksham e. Trowbridge f. Warminster g. Westbury 5 Interurban Services 6 Potential Negotiations, Terms and Implications, Next Steps 7 B&NES Officer Briefing Note on QCS 8 Fare Structure proposal 9 Smart Ticketing and Travel Pass APPENDIX 1 MELKSHAM - Buses on Service 69 (formerly ZigZag) to/from Corsham are timed to connect with TransWilts Rail services to/from Trowbridge at Melksham Railway Station, while buses to/from Berryfields are timed to connect with TransWilts Rail services to/from Swindon, all running at an increased frequency (roughly every 2 hours) during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - Buses on Service 14 via Melksham Forest connect with TransWilts Rail services to/from Swindon at Melksham Railway Station during Monday to Saturday daytimes. Combined with services 234 and 238, an increased frequency of 4 buses per hour will be provided between Melksham Forest and Melksham Town Centre during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - Services 235 and 239 will combine to provide an increase in frequency to every 30 minutes between the new East Melksham housing estates and Melksham Town Centre during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - New hourly services from East Melksham and Melksham Forest to Chippenham and Trowbridge will be provided during Monday to Saturday daytimes, also providing direct links from these areas to Wiltshire College campuses in Chippenham, Lackham and Trowbridge, as well as to Chippenham Community Hospital. A 2- hourly service between Melksham Forest and Trowbridge will also be introduced during Sunday daytimes. - Service X71 will provide a new hourly link from the Dunch Lane area to Bath and Bowerhill during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - Services X34 and 69 will provide new 2-hourly links from the Avon Road/Granville Road areas to Chippenham and Corsham respectively during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - Services X71 and X72 will provide a combined half hourly frequency from the Spa Road area to Bath and Bowerhill during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - Service 237 will provide an increased standard pattern 2-hourly frequency between Melksham and Bradford-on-Avon via Broughton Gifford and Holt during Monday to Saturday daytimes. - Service X34 is timed to plug the gaps between train services on the Chippenham- Melksham-Trowbridge line during Mondays to Saturdays, and rail tickets valid between Chippenham, Melksham, Bradford-on-Avon and/or Trowbridge will be accepted on parallel bus services. - The free Melksham Rail Link bus service will continue, and will now run Mondays to Saturdays inclusive. - Service 236 will be reinstated, once again providing peak services between Melksham-Bowerhill-Trowbridge on Mondays to Fridays. - An increased hourly frequency will be provided on bus services between Bath- Melksham-Bowerhill-Devizes during Monday to Saturday evenings and Sunday daytimes. An increased hourly frequency will also be provided on bus services between Chippenham-Melksham-Trowbridge during Monday to Saturday evenings. - Provision in the relevant contracts will be made for appropriate re-routing of QCS bus services, should the Melksham Railway Station/Foundry Close link open between 2016-2026. MELKSHAM AREA TRANSWILTS QCS BUS SERVICE LIST (PROVISIONAL) MELKSHAM TOWN SERVICES 14 Route – ASDA Supermarket, Melksham Railway Station/Foundry Close, Sainsburys, Lowbourne Buds, Forest Road, Methuen Avenue, Melksham Forest Chapel, Sherwood Avenue, Sandridge Road Co-op, Lowbourne Buds, Melksham Market Place, Sainsburys, ASDA Supermarket, Melksham Railway Station/Foundry Close. MondAys to FridAys Frequencies - Daytime – Every 30 minutes. - Evening – No service. SAturdAys Frequencies - Daytime – Every 30 minutes. - Evening – No service. SundAys Frequencies - Daytime – No service. - Evening – No service. Certain journeys operate via The Oak School. MELKSHAM RAIL LINK - Route/Frequency – Bowerhill Falcon Way, Bowerhill Halifax Road, The Spa, Snowberry Lane, Thyme Road, Sandridge Road/Skylark Road, Melksham Forest Church Lane, Forest Road, Lowbourne, Bath Road Wetherspoons, Melksham Railway Station/Foundry Close. Services run on Mondays to Saturdays, connecting with the 0720 (Mondays to Fridays) & 0748 (Mondays to Saturdays) departures to Chippenham/Swindon, and they will wait for the 1803 (Mondays to Saturdays) & 1918 (Mondays to Fridays) arrivals from Swindon/Chippenham, along with the 1847 (Mondays to Saturdays) arrival from Westbury/Trowbridge. Morning journeys will also run via ASDA Supermarket if required. No fares are charged on the Melksham Rail Link bus services. INTERURBAN SERVICES 236 Route – Paxcroft Mead Leap Gate, Hilperton Marsh Horse Road, St Thomas Road, Trowbridge Town Hall, Trowbridge Railway Station/Trinity Church, Wiltshire Drive, Marston Road, Manor Road, Studley Green, Trowbridge Railway Station/Trinity Church, Trowbridge Town Hall, St Thomas Road, Hilperton Marsh Horse Road, Paxcroft Mead Leap Gate. MondAys to FridAys Frequencies - Daytime – Every 15 minutes (1 morning peak journey starts from Corsham Newlands Road, running via Gastard, Whitley, Purlpit, Atworth, Shaw, Melksham, Bowerhill and Semington to Paxcroft Mead Leap Gate before picking up normal route, with 1 evening peak journey returning to Corsham Newlands Road via the same route. Additionally, 1 further evening peak journey extends from Paxcroft Mead Leap Gate to Semington, Melksham and Bowerhill Kingfisher Drive. Rail tickets valid between Melksham and Trowbridge are accepted on these peak services). - Evening – Every 60 minutes.